Under a Jarvis Moon

Under a Jarvis Moon is the story of 130 young men from Hawai‘i who, from the late 1930s through the early years of World War II, were sent on a clandestine mission by the U.S. Federal Government to occupy deserted islands in the middle of the Pacific.

Under a Jarvis Moon is the story of 130 young men from Hawai‘i who, from the late 1930s through the early years of World War II, were sent on a clandestine mission by the U.S. Federal Government to occupy deserted islands in the middle of the Pacific. The first wave of these colonists were Hawaiian high school students, chosen because government officials assumed that Pacific Islanders would be best able to survive the harsh conditions present on the tiny, isolated islands. For the young men, who were unaware of the true purpose of their role as colonists, what ensued is a tale of intrigue, courage, and ultimately, tragedy. Amazingly, these men (four of whom are still alive) are only now being recognized for their sacrifice, and efforts are underway for the United States to officially acknowledge them for serving their country.

Available until May 2016 through American Public Television

Noelle M.K.Y. Kahanu, Producer/Co-Director
Noelle Kahanu was born, raised, and educated in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. After receiving her law degree in 1992, Kahanu served as Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs for five years, where she worked on issues affecting Native Americans, including Hawaiians. She returned home and worked for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Native Hawaiian Education Council before joining Bishop Museum in 1998. For the past 13 years, she has served as a cultural inventory specialist, project manager, and most recently, Director of Community Affairs. She has overseen numerous programs, but her most significant project has been the development of the award-winning traveling exhibition Hui Panala‘au: Hawaiian Colonists, American Citizens in 2002, and the subsequent documentary Under a Jarvis Moon, which was completed a decade later. Both reveal the lost story of the colonization of the Line Islands by young Hawaiian men, including Kahanu’s own grandfather, George Kahanu, Sr.

Heather Giugni, Producer/Co-Director
Heather Giugni has produced and directed numerous projects over the years including documentaries, public service announcements, training videos, oral histories, and internet and interactive content. She was nominated for an Emmy in 2011 for the annual Kamehameha Schools Song Contest broadcast production and has been a primary producer for the Merrie Monarch Festival live broadcast since 2009. Giugni is the primary owner/operator of Juniroa Productions Inc., a new media company creating projects from concept to completion. She is a founding member of Pacific Islanders in Communications and ‘Ulu‘ulu, Hawai‘i’s Moving Image Archive. Giugni is presently working on her first web series.

Lisa Altieri, Producer/Editor
Lisa Altieri has over 25 years of experience in television and video production. After working in Hollywood as an editor, script supervisor, and associate producer for commercials and corporate and educational videos, Altieri returned home to Hawai‘i to work for the local NBC and ABC affiliates and eventually the non-profit organization Earthtrust. For the past 15 years, she has operated as an independent producer and editor, working on a wide range of projects from television commercials to long format videos. Altieri has produced/edited many acclaimed documentaries, including Lahaina: Waves of Change, Those Who Came Before, Papa Mau: The Wayfinder, and Under a Jarvis Moon, which was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2011 Hawaii International Film Festival.